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The Adventure of the Horticultural Hermits
The Adventure of the Horticultural Hermits is the third short story in Biggles - Charter Pilot , published in 1943. The story first appeared in Boy's Own Paper in November 1941 under the title "The Horticultural Hermits". In Charter Pilot, this story is preceded by The Adventure of the Abominable Caveman and followed by The Adventure of the Crooning Crocodile. The story was adapted in French in comic form and included in the small format comic series Jacques Rogy issue #3, published in April 1966 under the title Les ermites horticulteurs. Synopsis Ginger recounts for his 666 Squadron mates the story of the time when he, Algy and Biggles accompanied Dr Augustus Duck in search of a mysterious race of expert horticulturalists in a desert on the eastern foothills of the Andes. Plot (click on expand to read) The pilots of 666 Sqn are grounded because of fog so Biggles asks Ginger to entertain them by relating the story of their quest for the Horticultural Hermits. The story begins with an explorer named Betram Wedson, who had been prospecting for gold on the eastern slopes of the Andes when he came across a mysterious tribe of white men, apparently Jesuit monks who, some three hundred years ago, had fled from the Spanish king rather than give up the gold they had found. On a plateau in the middle of a desert, they had built a town and become expert horticulturalists, growing all kinds of plants, including those which could arrest the aging process. Wedson was allowed to remain, but was warned that a seed had been planted in him which would germinate and kill him unless he took a fruit lotion found only on the plateau. After a year, Wedson decided to take a risk and escaped. He made his way to England but by then, the seed had indeed germinated and had spread, like a fungus which consumed his brain. The doctors were puzzled by his illness but did not believe his story. He tried to return to the plateau but was clapped in a mental home where he died. Dr. Duck, however, did manage to talk to Wedson and believed him. Seeing an aircraft as a quick and convenient way to confirm or disconfirm Wedson's story, he engages Biggles and co. to take him to the plateau, whose location Wedson had given him. The plateau is found without much difficult but getting onto it proved more difficult. Biggles can only land at the base. A belt of lush green vegetation surrounds the plateau. Wedson had told Duck what to expect in making one's way to the plateau. They first had to negotiate a barrier of spiky plants, then nettles and poppy plants which would release their narcotic into the air when disturbed. Biggles decides that it was all too dangerous, and after a while, the team pulls back to the aircraft to spend the night and plan the next move. During the night, Algy, on watch, hears sounds of something like hail hitting the aircraft. But this was absurd as the sky was clear. Then Ginger, who had the dawn watch hears rustling sounds. In the faint light, he sees plants sprouting with runners creeping across the ground towards the aircraft. In a very short time the runners begin to engulf the machine. Ginger wakes the rest and they hurriedly attempt to clear away the vegetation but without much success. They then pile on board and start the engine which was fortunately strong enough to pull the aircraft free. They take off and fly over the plateau. The whole community had turned up to watch them. The sound of hail in the night must have been seeds which the monks had thrown down in an attempt to trap their plane. There is nothing much else to do so Biggles turns the plane for home. The horticultural hermits have succeeded in keeping strangers away. As far as Biggles is concerned, they can have the place to themselves. Characters *Biggles *Algy *Ginger *Dr Augustus Duck *Bertram Wedson 666 Sqn Personnel during the Preamble *Angus Mackail *Tug Carrington *Bertie Lissie Aircraft *Wanderer Places Visited *Desert on the eastern slopes of the Andes Mentioned Research Notes References to the past Incongruities Chronology References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories